Cygnus launches diver-held UT gauge to cut subsea inspection times

The instrument uses Multiple-Echo technology to take validated readings through coatings and heavy corrosion without requiring divers to remove surface material first.

By eliminating that preparation step and reducing the need to repeat scans or stabilise the probe against currents, the gauge is designed to shorten bottom times, a factor that directly affects both cost and diver safety in high-risk locations such as dams, sluices and flowing water zones.

A large colour display allows readings to be seen clearly in murky, low-light conditions. Three function keys and a four-screen menu keep operation simple enough for one-handed use, reducing the cognitive load on divers already managing buoyancy, communication, and confined spaces.

Data reliability features include a Measurement Stability Indicator (MSI), which confirms when a reading is stable before it is recorded, and Auto-Set Gain, which adjusts probe performance automatically under variable acoustic conditions. Live A-scans can be relayed to the surface for additional verification in difficult environments.

Logging is automatic and time-stamped via an onboard Real Time Clock, removing the need for verbal relay of readings to a surface team and eliminating transcription errors. The system supports both linear and grid logging formats, with complete data traceability across a survey.

The housing is shock-proof and double O-ring sealed, rated for the confined, turbulent conditions found beneath piers, inside lock chambers, and in other restricted access structures.

Documentation failures – where incomplete or unverifiable data require a return dive — are a significant cost driver in commercial inspection programmes. Cygnus says the combination of automatic logging, MSI confirmation, and Multiple-Echo validation is intended to reduce that risk by ensuring each reading is both reliable and recorded at the point of capture.

The gauge is available now. Further technical specifications are available from Cygnus Instruments directly.

Visit Cygnus Instruments at Seawork on Stand C6.